His Success: Though Mann's career has always been relatively hit and miss, it's not until recently that he's begun racking up a consistent stream of busts. His biggest critical hits include Thief, Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Ali and Collateral, though sadly only three of these films (Mohicans, Heat and Collateral) made any money worth talking about, with several of them not even making their budgets back. The Insider did, however, earn Mann three Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. His Failures: Post-Collateral, though, Mann's career just hasn't gone anywhere particularly interesting. 2006's Miami Vice was a financial bust (just barely making back its $135 million budget) alongside mixed reviews, Johnny Depp-starring gangster flick Public Enemies turned a profit but an underwhelming one (with mixed reviews), and finally, Mann's first film in six years, this year's Blackhat, was critically panned and recouped just $17.1 million of its $70 million budget. Mann's output from the last decade just seems totally out of touch, and though his name continues to attract stars like Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell, Johnny Depp and Chris Hemsworth, it seems that studios are partly to blame for consistently giving him such huge budgets despite only two of his movies in the last twenty years actually turning a decent profit worth talking about. How He Can Save His Career: Ditch the risky big budgets and focus on finding a meaty script from a hungry up-and-comer. If he makes a drama or thriller for around the $20-30 million mark with a star in the lead role, then he's much more likely to start scoring hits without the excess that most of his recent work has invited.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
